Affication
by PotterWeasley97
Summary: After Scott dies, Stiles is left drowning in his own misery, when help comes from an unexpected source.


"You can't just stay in bed all day, Stiles," Derek told him as walked into Stiles' bedroom.

"Yes, I can."

"He wouldn't want you to"

"Scott is dead, he doesn't want anything! Why can't you people understand that?" Stiles snapped. "Nothing I do now will change that. So if I want to stay in bed all day I will and you can go fuck yourself."

Derek understands grief, more than anyone should. He had lost Paige, his family in the fire, and then Peter killed Laura. Then the alpha pack came and killed Erica and Boyd. And now Scott is gone as well. Grief he understood. Stiles needed time, they all did. It had been three days since Scott had died. Everyone was suffering, and so Derek left. Stiles won't get up just because someone else wanted him to, he needed to find it in himself.

"And another thing Derek, when the hell did you even start to care about anyone but yourself?"

"He's gone, son" Stiles' dad said from the hallway.

"Oh, well, good then. I didn't even want him to be here in the first place." Stiles said mostly to himself.

Meanwhile, Derek made his way back to his loft. He didn't understand the need to make sure Stiles was ok. Well not okay, his best friend had died. Derek hasn't been okay since Paige had died in his arms. He hoped that Stiles would find a way to move on like he had. Ever since Scott died, Derek has checked up on him every day. He didn't think Stiles even knew three days had passed and he was worried about how the funeral would go tomorrow.

"He out of bed yet?" Isaac asked as Derek entered the loft.

"No, told me to go fuck myself when I told him Scott would have wanted him to get out of bed."

"Not surprising."

"So, what I'm supposed to just give up?".

"I wasn't saying that"

"Then what are you saying?"

"Just give him time, besides what's with the sudden interest in Stiles?"

"I'm just making sure he is alright,"

"But why? I mean should that be like Lydia's job?"

"I know what's it's like to lose someone that close to you. Lydia doesn't. I'm just trying to make things right"

"Because you didn't with Scott?"

"Because I know he's hurting and I want to help him."

"Okay, but I still don't get why Stiles, if you are just wanting to make sure he's alright, why just Stiles?"

"I saw the sheriff too."

"Because you were seeing Stiles," Isaac said holding back a laugh "Why not check on Allison?"

"She tried to kill me."

"Okay, what about Scott's mom?"

"She doesn't like me that much," Derek told him while getting up. "Now, are we done with the interrogation? I'm going for a run."

Isaac may have had a point. It didn't make sense to Derek. He couldn't figure out why he was so concerned with Stiles. A couple of months ago, Derek wouldn't even give him the time of day. But, now? Derek thought about Stiles all the time. Even before Scott died, he would check on Stiles every night. At first, Derek told himself it was just an alpha thing, but if that was the case wouldn't he be checking up on the rest of the pack as well.

Before he even realized it, Derek had ran to Stiles's house on accident. Derek hadn't even meant to leave the woods. How did he even end up here?

"Back already, Derek?" John, Stiles's dad, asked him on the way to his car.

"Guess so, any change?" Derek asked him still confused.

"None, I'm off to help Melissa with the funeral preparations," John told him. "I'll see you there tomorrow?"

"Of course," Derek told him before walking in the house.

"Oh, good. You're here." Lydia said when Derek walked in.

"You leaving?"

"Yes, I'm going over to Allison's. He still won't get out of bed. Maybe you should tell him the real reason you've been checking on him."

"And what reason is that?"

"That you like him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Derek. It's been obvious even before he died. Even more so now."

"I'm just making sure he's okay"

"Well, he's not. Don't waste the time you have with him. Tell him how you feel before it's too late."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really. I just don't know how we're all suppose to move on now. Scott was the one to hold us all together. I don't want to lose anyone else."

"We're still a pack, Lydia. I might not have been a great alpha, but I really do care about you all."

"Which is why you need to tell him how you feel, I don't like seeing all of us apart like this, anyway I have to get to Allison's, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be there. How is she holding up?"

"Same as Stiles."

"Bring her over to the loft tomorrow night, we'll have a pack night?"

"You want to be in the same room as her?"

"I think it's time to put the past in the past, besides Isaac will be happy to see her."

As Lydia left, Derek thought about what she had said. When did he starting seeing Stiles in a new light? He used to be this spazzy sarcastic person that just got in the way. But now? Now, all Derek could think of was how smart Stiles is, or how loyal he has always been to Scott. Thinking about Scott was harder than Derek would have ever thought. Scott truly became his little brother. Taking care of Stiles was much easier than trying to understand his own grief.

"Dude, no matter how many time you just let yourself in my house, it doesn't get any less creepy," Stiles said as he came down the stairs.

"Your dad let me in."

"I thought I had scared you off."

"You really thought I would give up that easily."

"Seriously, why are you here Derek?"

"I'm worried about you, we all are. You can't stop living your life because he's gone."

"That's not what I'm doing, what's it to you anyway? It's not like you ever gave a fuck about me or Scott. It was always about you and your stupid power."

"Really, Stiles. I thought we were past this. Okay, I fucked up with the whole being an alpha thing. But don't you dare say that I don't care about you all"

"The only thing you are good at is getting people killed! Look around you people kept getting killed and the only common denominator is you!"

"Scott was not my fault!"

"We would be better off if we would never have met you!"

"You know what, fuck this! If you want to sit around feeling sorry for yourself for the rest of your life then so be it. But you don't get to blame me for it!"

"I didn't ask for you to be here!"

"I'm here because I care about you!"

"I didn't ask you too," Stiles said as his voice broke. "I want him to be."

Derek looked at Stiles as he crumbled in front of him. Any sign of the anger that had just been there was completely gone. Complete sorrow had replaced it. Derek's own heart broke at the sight of it. Derek pulled Stiles to him and just held him tight.

"Me too"

Stiles was shocked. He knew Derek cared, after everything they all been through, it showed. But to see Derek be so open about it was surprising. Stiles hadn't seen him show this kind of emotion since the night the alpha pack had killed Boyd.

"When does this stop?" Stiles asked. "When do I get to stop losing people?"

"I don't have an answer for that. But you have to live your life with meaning to honor them."

"How do I do that? How do I move on when I know it's just a matter of time before someone else dies?"

"We do it together, one day at a time," Derek told him as he pulled away. "I'm not going anywhere, Stiles. I mean it when I say that I care about you. I think I'm in love with you."

It felt like time had somehow stop for Derek and Stiles. Both surprised by Derek's words. Stiles stopped and look at Derek's eyes. He had never seen such honesty in them.

"Damn banshee" Derek muttered to himself.

"What does Lydia have to do anything?"

"We talked before you came downstairs, she said my feelings for you had been obvious for a while."

"Well, not to me. But that's okay because now I can quit pretending that I'm not in love with you."

"You're in love with me? Why? You could do so much better than me?"

"No, you don't get to say you love me and then doubt me when I say it back"

"But-"

"No, Derek, if we're going to do this than we can't doubt each other."

"Then how do we do this?"

"Like you said together. There's no backing out now."

"I'll try but I win the award for self-hatred."

"So you wanna be my boyfriend?" Stiles asked a lopsided grin.

"Leave it to you to ruin the mood."

"It's kinda my specialty"

"Actually your specialty is never knowing when to shut up."

"Hey that-" Stiles started to say but Derek stopped him by grabbing his chin and slowly kissing him.

"You sure this is what you want?"

"No, I just let you kiss me for no reason."

"Stiles."

"Derek, of course, I'm sure this is what I want. I've wanted this since the day we met."

"You hated me back then"

"Only a little, I mean I did think you were a murderer so there's that then the whole killing your uncle thing and-"

"You're doing it again"

"You get my point. Besides, that was then and this is now."

"You understand why I did those things, don't you?"

"I'm still here aren't I?"

"I just want to be sure that this is what you want "

"Listen to my heartbeat, I want to be with you, Derek. See no skips. I promise you this is what I want. Now stop trying to get out of it."

"I'm not trying to get out of it, I just have to know that you are sure. How do you think everyone is going to react when they find out?"

"Oh god, You're telling my dad!"

"What! No that's your job!"

"NO! I called dibs on not telling him!"

"He's your dad!"

"You can't challenge the power of dibs"

"Fine! But what about everyone else?"

"I say we just let them find out."

"Yeah, that's a good idea, I'm not very good at these kinds of things."

"That's why you have me now. Who do you think is going to notice first?"

"Lydia. Absolutely no question."

"True. How long do you think it would have taken Scott to notice?"

"Months, he would have literally had to walk in on us."

"Even then we would probably have to spell it out for him," Stiles said with a sad smile.

"You ready for tomorrow?"

"I never will be, but at least I'll have you there."

Derek didn't know how losing Scott would effect Stiles in the long run, but he knew how to get him through the funeral. Derek vowed to make sure Stiles would stop laughing. He had owned him this at the minimum since Stiles had taught Derek how to laugh again.


End file.
